NAWILIWILI — “Meshach,” a custom 45 tri-maran, waited four years to hit the water, and reveled in the 10-20 knot East-northeasterlies that bit cold and deep, sending spectators to their cars and others to pull on wind jackets, Thursday. “Meshach”
NAWILIWILI — “Meshach,” a custom 45 tri-maran, waited four years to hit the water, and reveled in the 10-20 knot East-northeasterlies that bit cold and deep, sending spectators to their cars and others to pull on wind jackets, Thursday.
“Meshach” jumped into a quick lead following the departure of the Holland Lines’ “Zaandam” that threatened to postpone the start of the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Gene Wells Memorial Series, Race No. 1.
“For a while we thought we would have to call a postponement,” said Sharon Gibson, the NYC scorekeeper. “But the ‘Zaandam’ cleared just in time for the start.”
The crowded start of a dozen boats thrilled both the NYC Race Committee as well as spectators that parked two-deep along the jetty wall parking area.
“This is the most boats we’ve had in a long time,” Gibson said. “Everyone must have been dying to get back into racing routine. We have four multi-hulls!”
A couple from Spokane, Washington, saw the tops of the fleet and walked down from their Banyan Harbor accomodations, their cell phones working desperately to try and reach other members of their party.
“We race on a lake in Idaho, but it’s not like this,” the visitors said. “There’s nothing like watching the race in person.”
The 45-foot tri-maran that just came back following a four-year drydock for renovations and work maintained its early lead and sliced to an overall first finish with an elapsed sail of 54:40, almost four minutes ahead of “Malihini,” a 35-foot cat.
But with the PHRF correction, “Malihini” was awarded the first finish in the Multi-Hull division on a corrected sail of 59:35 (58:07 elapsed). “Meshach” filled in second in the four-vessel division with a PHRF 1:00.14 followed by “Trinity,” an F-28R, at 1:10.11 PHRF and “Kalewa,” a 48-foot cat, at 1:13.23 PHRF.
“Fast Company,” one of a fleet of Olson 30s, continued where it left off in the 2008 showing, ekeing out a lead in the monohulls despite being dwarfed by the larger multi-hulls.
Skippered by Jim Saylor, “Fast Company” topped the monohulls on a 1:02.01 PHRF sail followed by “Lelele,” a Wells 30, with a 1:03.46 PHRF.
“Papa‘au,” an Express 27, filled in third at 1:04.10 followed by “Speedy,” another Olson 30,” at 1:04.29 PHRF. “OZone,” the third Olson 30 in the fleet, stopped the clock at 1:05.10 PHRF with “Coyote,” a C&C 38, (1:06.49 PHRF), “Bonjolea,” an X-342, (1:07.04 PHRF) rounding out the finishers. “R&R,” a Columbia 26 was logged as a “DNF.”
The public is invited to view the competition from the jetty wall area as the NYC Wells Memorial Series continues with Race No. 2, Thursday.
First flags fly at 5 p.m.
